North Williamsburg NY's Top-Rated Kung Fu Training Program

Looking for Kung Fu training in the North Williamsburg NY area? NY Martial Arts Academy specializes in Jeet Kune Do, which borrows elements from many different styles of martial arts. NY Martial Arts Academy was the first school in the tri-state area to be recognized by the Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Nucleus (an organization established to preserve and perpetuate the art that Bruce Lee developed). This organization and our school have a common purpose to promote the art, science, and philosophy of the founder of JKD (Bruce Lee). We are one of the only schools on the East Coast to teach Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do.

Since our inception in 1985, there have been over 10,500 students trained at our academy. Through the years we have maintained our high standards through small group lessons, personalized attention, and constant interaction with our students. This is also an academy that will teach you the different aspects of Jeet Kune Do (mind, body, and spirit). You will also develop friendships and a common respect for your fellow martial artists. Let us help you cultivate your true potential through self defense, physical fitness and providing you with peace of mind!

Kung Fu & The Many Styles Behind Jeet Kune Do

Jeet Kune Do embodies the full range of martial arts benefits. Founded by actor, philosopher, and fighting expert Bruce Lee, this school incorporates fighting styles from China to Brazil and to the United States. Students simultaneously learn to defend themselves, gain new appreciation for a myriad of cultures, practice mindfulness, and get a great workout. To fully understand what Jeet Kune Do can offer, it's important to explore the other styles that have influenced it, including:

Kung Fu & Wing Chun

Kung Fu is the most famous Chinese martial art, as well as one of the most important influences on Jeet Kune Do. The style is notable for its heavy use of rips, claws, and other open hand techniques, along with kicks, throws, strikes, leaps, and even somersaults. Over the centuries, Kung Fu practitioners have divided into a number of different schools, each emphasizing different aspects of the style and using it for different purposes.

When creating Jeet Kune Do, Bruce Lee chose to pull from one particular school: Wing Chun. He made this choice due to his personal history with the style. As a teenager in Hong Kong, he took Wing Chun lessons so that he could defend himself more effectively from the gangs that roamed the city at that time. Not only did the art allow him to survive, but he eventually gained a reputation as a formidable fighter. When he developed Jeet Kune Do, he made sure to carve out a special place for the fighting style of his youth.

Wing Chun places an emphasis on economy of motion, meaning that you accomplish as much as possible in a single movement. To this end, it involves blocking and striking the attacker simultaneously, as well as hand trapping, intercepting your opponents' movements, and maintaining forward pressure. Through these techniques, you can limit the impact of your opponents' attacks and maximize that of your own, all while saving your energy.

Although Wing Chun forms the basis of Jeet Kune Do, Lee did not use it unaltered. He found the style's traditional movements too limited for his purposes and began to include a wider range of stances and attack angles. Notably, he studied fencing in detail and began to incorporate that style's footwork into Wing Chun. This allowed him to engage opponents from a longer range, and thus incorporate kicks and more distant punches into the mix.

The Role of Kicking & Boxing

As Bruce Lee expanded his style to include kicking, punching, and boxing, he began studying other arts that placed a greater emphasis on these actions. Tae Kwon Do was an obvious starting point. Loosely translated as "the art of kicking and punching," this Korean fighting style teaches its students to engage from a much greater distance than is possible in Wing Chun. The art is perhaps most famous for its use of "flying kicks," or kicks that involve leaping across great distances. It also involves stationary kicks from a range of positions, as well as evasive footwork, punches, and blocks. By combining Wing Chun with Tae Kwon Do, Lee and his students would be able to fight from any distance.

In addition to the Korean art of kicking and punching, Bruce Lee also took a page out of Thai kickboxing. Known as Muay Thai, this style involves heavy coordination between the shins, knees, fists, and elbows, thus blocking and attacking the opponent on multiple fronts. By incorporating the style's kicking mechanics, Lee further enhanced the effectiveness of Jeet Kune Do for combat over long distances.

As Jeet Kune Do began to include so many different combat styles, its practitioners gained a new advantage: flexibility. They discovered that by studying this art, they were not only learning an effective way to fight, but also gaining an understanding of other combat strategies that could be used against them. Whether an opponent resorted to Kung Fu, Muay Thai, or Tae Kwon Do, a Jeet Kune Do expert would know what attacks to expect and be able to counter them. It is for this reason that Jeet Kune Do practitioners tend to dominate MMA tournaments and other combat events that involve many different fighting styles.

Grappling & Wrestling

In addition to the need to punch, kick, block, and evade, grappling is essential to an effective fighting style. Thus over the years, Jeet Kune Do has come to incorporate a range of wrestling and grappling techniques, with a particular focus on:

Jiu Jitsu - A Japanese fighting style that literally means "gentle," this art involves using a series of chokes, holds, kicks, trips, strikes, throws, and joint locks to overcome an opponent. Practitioners typically focus on limiting or deflecting their opponent's attack, though they can use this style to kill.

Judo - Developing out of jiu jitsu in the 19th century, Judo takes advantage of an attacker's energy. Rather than using their own effort, judo practitioners direct their opponents' attacks to neutralize or disarm them. This makes it ideal if your opponent is significantly larger than you, as you can use their greater strength and size against them.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - A variation on Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is notable for placing as much emphasis on athletic goals as defense ones. It involves holding onto your opponent and tiring them out before directly fighting back, ensuring that they will not have the energy to resist your counterattack. Because you will have to take some damage early on, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu builds isometric strength, which allows you to resist early hits more effectively.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was not part of Lee's original formula, but was incorporated by later instructors to enhance the style's effectiveness. This demonstrates that Jeet Kune Do is a living martial art, always capable of adapting to meet new challenges and take advantage of new tactics.

Student Testimonials:

I came to NY Martial Arts Academy after training in another JKD school for more than two years. I was really impressed with NY Martial Arts Academy and Sifu Dino's approach to teaching Authentic Jeet Kune Do. I knew that this is where I wanted to train and that I was finally seeing the true meaning of JKD. I have learned so many things here and developed a better understanding of what martial arts is and also what it isn't. It has given me self confidence, Self-esteem and peace of mind in knowing I can protect myself & Family. I can't get enough of the friendly students and staff that make me feel like a part of the family. I am thankful for being taught the right way. - Student at NY Martial Arts Academy

If you are interested in learning more about our programs and begin your journey, fill out our contact form or call us at (347) 721-3288 . We will be happy to assist you in determining if this is a good fit. If it is not a good fit, we will do our best to point you in the right direction. You have nothing to lose and our proven systems may just change your life!